Tokyo

CIRPAS

サーパス

Classic French served in a modern tempo. The atmosphere at CIRPAS is chic and friendly, as you sit along the long counter and watch the young head chef in the open kitchen. Trained under Michelin-starred Dominique Bouchet, Takashi Yoshida curates an artistic menu using high-quality ingredients like Hokkaido sea urchin and Ossetra caviar. Also a YouTube sensation, he is among the new generations of chefs that wants to reinvent world-class fine-dining into something more people can enjoy.

CIRPAS sits on a quiet street in Shirokanedai, a posh residential neighborhood in central Tokyo. The dark exterior is simple and stylish, setting the tone of the ambiance inside. The dimmed dining room has a modern feel with a marbled counter that stretches around the open kitchen. From every seat, guests can enjoy watching the chef prepare the food.

Trained under Michelin-starred Dominique Bouchet, Chef Takashi Yoshida’s culinary techniques are top-class. From appetizer to dessert, he uses high-quality ingredients to create exquisite combinations of colors, aromas and flavors. Served on traditional Arita pottery by Kamachi Toho, the food is presented like pieces of art.

Built on his love for the French tradition, he wants his restaurant to be enjoyable for his guests without all the formalities like elaborate table settings and lengthy menus. Naming the restaurant by combining the words, "circulation" and "passion,” he is committed to creating his own style of cuisine.

The impressive wine collection also augments the experience. The restaurant stocks close to 300 bottles including rare vintages. Enjoy the variety of pairings as they pour your drink into a stunning Lobmeyr glass.

Classic French served in a modern tempo

CIRPAS’s omakase menu is seasonal and changes every three month. “The first three courses show the direction of our cuisine,” Yoshida says when asked about the menu.

The evening begins with a cup of consommé that has been carefully distilled over time. The deep flavor of the warm soup through your empty stomach.

Inspired by a traditional dish from Iwate Prefecture, the sea urchin appetizer looks like precious gems. A morsel of Hokkaido sea urchin and a buckwheat flour madeleine sit on top of a cup filled with hot pebbles. Adding layers of flavors, the sea urchin is draped with a sheet of jelly made of carrot extract and sprinkles of salted egg yolk. The difference in temperature between the freshly baked madeleine and the chilled sea urchin is intriguing to the tongue.

"Only in Japan can we serve sea urchins like this and keep the fresh quality. I decided to pair it with something quintessentially French like a madeleine.” Named “The French,” the next dish is a work of art. Inside a circular flat plate sits a colorful tower of seasonal ingredients. Starting from the top are Ossetra Caviar, apple slices, hairy crab, consommé jelly, parsnip panna cotta and lemon thyme. On top of the breathtaking presentation, the flavors of the different flavors come together beautifully in your mouth.

Yoshida's outstanding techniques shine in the next dish. Grilled sea bream is moist and tender, bathing in a broth infused with fennel and fermented tomatoes and drizzled with saffron and garlic oil. The scales are first removed from the fish and dried separately before being added onto the fish. This technique ensures the scales stay crispy and crunchy. A piece of fennel confit is hidden under the fish.

The meat dishes are defined by their classic sauces. The soft and flavorful Ezo deer loin is dressed with poivrade, made with plenty of red wine and pig and deer blood. The red wine sauce is pungent but elegant, a reflection of the chef’s mastery in classic French cuisine.

INGREDIENTS
The ingredients used at CIRPAS come from Tokyo’s Toyosu market and also directly from local farmers. Yoshida visits different producers to learn about their produce and check their quality. He wants to understand their way of thinking and the story behind each product, which allows him to create incredible dishes using them.

CHEF

Takashi Yoshida

Takashi Yoshida was born in Saitama Prefecture in 1987. His family used to enjoy going out to eat, which naturally led him to be interested in the idea of becoming a chef. After graduating from Hattori Nutrition College, he worked for four years at the dining room of the Marunouchi Hotel in Tokyo.

With a desire to perfect his skills, he headed to France at the age of 25 with just a guidebook in his hand. He looked up Dominique Bouchet’s restaurant in Paris and managed to land on a job in their kitchen. After returning to Japan, he worked at Pierre Gagnaire in Akasaka.

In 2015, Bouchet invited Yoshida to join him as sous chef of the renovated Dominique Bouchet Tokyo, a two Michelin star restaurant. In 2016, he headed their sister bistro Les Copains de Dominique Bouchet. He was later appointed executive chef of the group and spent a few busy years overseeing restaurants in Tokyo, Kanazawa, Nagoya, and Kyoto. He left the group in March 2021 and joined CIRPAS in November 2022.

He has further expanded his culinary reach as a YouTube sensation. At the start of the COVID pandemic, he began creating cooking videos in his home and posting them on YouTube. Using the name, George, the clips showcase his exceptional style, skills and storytelling. Attracting many fans across Japan, his channel has more than 970,000 subscribers.

VISION
“I think many people consider French restaurants too posh and out of reach for them,” Yoshida says. “I want to improve the ‘circulation’ of the cuisine and have as many people enjoy it. That’s one of the reasons why I want to increase my following on YouTube as well.”

He also says that he wants to actively work on environmental issues such as preserving marine life and resources.

KNIVES

In addition to the exquisite collection of Arita pottery, Yoshida has spent years collecting his favorite knives. Inside the open kitchen, about 20 knives hang off the wall in a row, each designed for its own particular use. Many of them require regular maintenance. His favorite knife is made by Mitsuboshi Cutlery in Gifu Prefecture, an established blacksmith founded in 1896. “The grip is extremely easy to hold,” Yoshida explains. “The design is modern but the hilt reminds me of a Japanese sword. I really like it.''